Teachers, administrators and Board of Education trustees said they were concerned not only about teaching the curriculum, but about some of the questions. One sample question, for example, required that students watch a video of a man diving into a 1-foot-deep pool. The video sparked concerns about students emulating the video, thinking it may be safe because it is part of their instruction.

“I have worries about the math education our students are going to receive,” said Dr. Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School.

Administrators said they were also concerned that, even if teachers focused on the Common Core exam, students would not have the background in that curriculum to do well on the Regents, since this is the first year they are taking Common Core math.

The focus on the Integrated Algebra Regents will mean that, as Johnson said, students will be “somewhat underprepared” for the Common Core test.

“We have to make a choice,” Johnson said. “We don’t know how to fully prepare somebody for the Common Core because we’ve never seen it before; we don’t know what it is. So I don’t even know how to fully prepare them for that. I do know how to prepare them for the Integrated. So we’re going to prepare them for the Integrated and do our best to fill in around the edges, and make sure the kids at least make a serious run at doing well on the Common Core.”